AU636450B2 - Machine for the discharge and lengthwise cutting of a strip of material running past it - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for creasing and slitting a travelling web, such as a cardboard web, characterized by an assembly which includes a carriage having a tool storage device with at least one spare tool and a lever arm mounting a tool for rotation. The lever arm is movable from a position with the tool engaging the web passing through the machine to a withdrawn position which enables changing the tool with one of the spare tools. Each of the assemblies is adjustably positioned in a transverse direction relative to the direction of movement of the web. The device includes a second group of assemblies which contains counter-tools for the tools of the first group.

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patent Act 1952 "rtT 6450 C OMPLETE S P E C IF I CAT ION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number Lodged

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9 9*

S

6* Complete Specification Lodged Accepted Published Priority: 21 FEBRUARY 1990 Related Art

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*999 C C *6 9~

S

S.

Name of Applicant Address of Applicant Actual Inventor Address for Service PETERS MASCHINENFABRIK GMBH RONDENBARG 9-17, D-2000 HAMBURG 54,

GERMANY

LOTHAR SCHROEDER F.B. RICE CO., Patent Attorneys, 28A Montague Street, BALMAIN. 2041.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "MACHINE FOR THE DISCHARGE AND LENGTHWISE CUTTING OF A STRIP OF MATERIAL RUNNING PAST IT" The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 1A- The present invention relates to a machine for the discharge and lengthwise slitting of a strip of material running past it, of the type defined in the precharacterising clause of Claim 1.

It is known that a machine of this type can, for example, be placed downstream of a corrugating machine forning part of a continuous train of machines which, starting from reels of paper strips, produce a continuous strip of corrugated cardboard. At the end of the machine, this strip is cut longitudinally, for example into two strips, and each strip is then cut transversely into •sheet blanks. These sheet blanks will subsequently be taken up one by one in shaping machines in order to form 'C boxes or other forms of packaging.

In the lengthwise-slitting and discharging machine, each change of a new series of sheet blanks to be made requires: certain of the slitting and discharging tools to be replaced by other tools, and each tool to be repositioned in the transverse direction, in other words in the direction perpendicular to the running of the strip to be processed.

25 With a view to adapting the machine to the format of the new series of blanks and for reasons of production which, in the present case, essentially relate to the corrugating machine, it is very important that the

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replacement and the repositioning of the tools, the socalled "change of format", can be effected very quickly, to the extent even of not having to vary the speed of the corrugating machine.

Numerous solutions have already been proposed for reducing the change-of-format time. Given that both the slitting operation and the discharging operation take place in principle using a tool and a counter-tool, hitherto the tools are generally mounted on a first rotary shaft, and the counter-tools on a second rotary -2shaft parallel to the first and the interaxial distance of which can be adjusted. The tools and the counter-tools (termed hereinafter tools) are, of course, mounted so as to be displaceable and adjustable in a fixed position on their respective shaft as a function of the format of the blanks to be produced. Furthermore, a same working station can consist either of a single pair of shafts on which are mounted the tools and the counter-tools for the slitting and the discharging, or of two pairs of shafts, one pair of which carries the slitting tools and countertools and the other pair the discharging' tools and counter-tools. In what follows, it will be assumed that a slitting and discharging station comprises at least one rotary tool and rotary counter-tool between which pass 15 [sic] the strip to be worked. Consequently, among the solutions proposed to date for accelerating the change of S* format, almost all of them consist in placing, in proximity to the pair of shafts situated in the working position, in other words so that the strip to be worked can pass between their respective tools and countertools, at least one other pair of reserve shafts, likewise equipped respectively with tools and counter-tools.

During a change of format, the pair of shafts in the working position is displaced into another, so-called reserve position, whereas the pair of reserve shafts is placed in the working position. These shafts can be displaced in a transverse movement (described, for examp' in the patent DE-A 2,306,296) or a circular movement (see US-A 3,489,043) in a same working station.

30 It is also proposed to employ two working stations spaced apart in the running direction of the strip, the rollers of one station being in the working position, whereas those of the other station are in the reserve position, and vice versa (US-A 3,408,886, FR-A 2,244,620). All the abovementioned solutions have the following disadvantages: it is not possible to adjust the working pressure between a tool and its counter-tool mounted on a pair of shafts independently of that of the other -3tools mounted on this same pair of shaft [sic].

Indeed, this pressure must be the same for all tools since it results from the force with which the two shafts are pressed towards each other; it is not possible, once a pair of shafts is in the working position, to vary the transverse position of a counter-tool relative to its tool; and the possible number of combinations of the tools present in a machine is relatively small since all the tools of a same pair of shafts all obligatorily pass simultaneously from the working position into the reserve position, and vice versa.

-mh ebet- +-1,n!presnt invpntinn is therefore to provide a lengthwi e-slitting and discharging machine 15 which has a high possi ility of variation in the choice of the tools, the press e and the relative position of each tool and counter-too.

.This object is achi ved with a machine according to Claim 1.

An embodiment of t invention will now be described with reference to he actached drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a view in se tion of the machine in the running direction of the trip and illustrating the tools and counter-tools; Figure 2 is a view in section al ng A-A of Figure 1 ill-strating a single tool; Figure 3 is a view in section alon A-A of Figure 1 illustrating three tools; .30 Figure 4 is a view in section along B- of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a partial view in section, i entical to Figure 1, of another embodiment of the ma hine.

In the presenc description, the running drection of the strip will be termed running direction, nd the direction perpendicular to it transverse direction The frame of the machine comprises two la ral walls B extending in the running direction. The strip 1, ^A 'i-ntanded-n f axaml'e to, be sli t 1 ,on,"itludinall. i th -thrwh 3a It would be desirable to provide a lengthwise-slitting and discharging machine which has a high possibility of variation in the choice of the tools, the pressure and the relative position of each tool and counter-tool.

In one broad form the present invention provides a machine for creasing and slitting a travelling web comprising: at least one carriage; means for setting the position of the or each carriage in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the web; and means for causing operation of one or more tools carried by the carriage; 15 wherein each carriage comprises storage means for carrying at least one tool, a lever shiftable relative to the carriage between a first position in which it can hold a tool in an operating position and a second position in which a tool may be transferred between the lever and the storage means.

A further broad form of the present invention provides a machine for creasing and slitting a travelling web comprising: at least one carriage; 25 means for setting the position of the or each carriage in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the web; and means for causing operation of one or more tools carried by the carriage; wherein each carriage comprises a lever mounte" on the carriage and provided with a storage means having a plurality of seats for the tools, one of the seats being an operating seat, the lever being shiftable between the first position in which the tool is located in the operating seat and said position is an 3b operating position, and a second position in which the tool is out of operation.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a view in section of the machine in the running direction of the strip and illustrating the tools and counter-tools; Figure 2 is a view in section along A-A of Figure 1 illustrating a single tool; Figure 3 is a view in section along A-A of Figure 1 illustrating three tools; Figure 4 is a view in section along B-B of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a partial view in section, identical to 15 Figure 1, of another embodiment of the machine.

In the present description, the running direction of the strip will be termed running direction, and the direction perpendicular to it transverse direction.

The frame of the machine comprises two lateral walls B extending in the running direction. The strip 1, intended for example to be slit longitudinally with the S. S :ii :I -4aid of a rotary tool 11 situated above the strip and a rotary counter-tool 21 situated beneath the strip, runs past between these two lateral walls B, essentially horizontally.

The two walls B are interconnected by two pairs of transverse walls 4a, 4b, 4'a, 4'b, one pair 4a, 4b of which is situated above the strip 1, and the other pair 4'a, 4'b beneath it. One wall 4a of the upper pair is situated upstream of the tool 11 with respect to the running direction, and the other wall 4b downstream. The same applies to the pair of walls 4'a, 4'b situated beneath the strip 1.

The part of the machine in question situated above the strip 1 will now be described, it being understood that the part situated beneath the strip 1 will be essentially identical to that above it and symmetrical to it with respect to this same strip 1.

The upstream upper wall 4a comprises two transverse rails 30 alcng which a carriage 2 for positioning *4* the tool 11 can slide. The carriage 2 is equipped with two guides 3 engaging with the rails 30. The carriage 2, the transverse width of which is relative small, extends as far as the region of the upstream wall 4b. A motor is mounted on the carriage 2. This motor, the output shaft of which is equipped with a toothed wheel 6 engaging with a rack 7 mounted on the downstream wall 4a, serves to displace the carriage 2 transversely along the rails 30. The carriage 2 is provided with a bore 34 (see Figure 2) in which is mounted a support in the form of a -30 hollow shaft 31, one end 31' of which emerges from the bore 34. The first end of a pivoting lever 8 extending downstream is mounted on this end 31' so as to be free in rotation, by means of a plain bearing 35. The other end of the lever 8 is provided with a bore 8' in which is rotatably mounted, via roller bearings 36, an arbor intended to receive a tool 11. The tool 11 is fixed onto the arbor 10 using a bayonet system, in other words a system in which two studs 37 of the tool 11 engage with two helical grooves 38 (formed radially in the internal surface of a bore of the arbor 10). It is possible to lock the tool 11 in position or to unlock it relative to the arbor 10 by rotating the tool 11 in one or other direction, the locking direction being opposite to the working direction of rotation of the tool 11. A toothed wheel 10' is mounted on the second end of the arbor locked in rotation.

A hollow sleeve 32, traversed by a transverse square bar 24 mounted rotatably in two bearings (not shown) situated in the two lateral walls B, is mounted rotatably, via roller bearings 40, inside the bore 39 of the hollow shaft 31. A toothed wheel 41, connected by a toothed belt 9 to the toothed wheel 10' of the arbor t. is mounted on this same square bar 24 in proximity to the 15 hollow sleeve 32.

a Furthermore, the carriage 2 is equipped with a turret 18, the axis of rotation of which is oriented transversely and is situated halfway between the upstream 4a and downstream 4b walls. Two (or three) reserve tools (26, 27) can be angularly distributed on the turret 18.

The fixing of each tool 26, 27 to the turret 18 is also effected by means of a bayonet system, in other words a spindle 18' and a stud 18a of the turret 18 which engage respectively with a bore 11' and a helical groove lla of the tool 11 (see Figure the locking direction of rotation being opposite to that for fixing the tool 11 e* onto the pivoting lever 8.

Th. lever 8 can be pivoted between two positions, namely a first position in which it holds the tool 11 in contact with the strip 1, and a second position in which the bore 11' of the tool 11, situated exactly opposite a spindle 18' of the turret 18, can be transferred from the pivoting lever 8 to the turret 18, or vice versa. In order to effect this transfer, which requires a slight relative transverse displacement between the lever 8 and the carriage 2, there is formed on the periphery of the hollow shaft 31 a helical groove 17 engaging with a corresponding fixed stud 17' on the surface of the bore 34 of the carriage 2 in such a way that when the shaft 31

A

6 rotates in one or other direction, a corresponding displacement of this same shaft, and hence of the lever 8, is obtained relative to the carriage 2. The rotation of the hollow shaft 31 is effected using an actuator 14, the ends of which engage, by means of appropriate levers and 16, with the carriage 2 and the hollow shaft 31.

During an operation of discharging the cardboard 1 using the tool 11, the latter is driven in rotation via the arbor 10, the toothed wheel 10', the synchronous belt 9 and the toothed wheel 41 locked in rotation on the square bar 24, the latter being driven in rotation at at least one end by means of a motor (not shown).

If it is assumed that the tool 11 is in the working position, as shown in Figure 1, and that two 15 tools 26 and 27 are in reserve on the turret 18 at the S* stations T2, T3 respectively, whilst the station TI, in S. the transverse position, is free, an exchange of the tool 11 for the tool 26 takes place as follows: pivoting of the lever 8, by means of the actuator 14, in order to bring the tool opposite the station Tl; rotation of the tool 11, in a direction opposite to :its working direction of rotation in order to release the tool 11 from the arbor 10 and to engage the entrance of the bore 11' of the tool 11 with the free end of the spindle 18' of the station T1 of the turret 18; rotation of the tool 11 in a direction opposite to that used to release the tool 11 from the arbor :30 in other words in the direction of the arrow F, in order to fix, using the bayonet system lla and 18a, the tool 11 onto the spindle 18', in other words onto the turret 18; rotation of the turret 18 by means of a motor 19 mounted on the carriage 2 and a worm gear 20 (or other means, for example a pneumatic catch), in the direction of the arrow R in order to bring the station T2 and its tool 26 into the transfer position; and -7transfer of the tool 26 onto the lever 8 and pivoting of the latter in order to bring this same tool 26 into the working position, in other words in contact with the strip 1, by operations which are exactly identical and the reverse of those carried out to bring the tool 11 from the working position into the transfer position.

For the case where it is desired to replace the tool 11 with the tool 27 (and not the tool 26), it can be readily understood that, by an appropriate rotation of the turret 18, it is this tool 27 which would be broIuht into the transfer position.

A plurality of transversely offset tools 11 must, of course, be provided simultaneously in the working 15 position. In order to do this, it is provided for a plurality of carriage/turret/pivoting lever assemblies E (in Figure 3 only two assemblies El and E2 are shown) to be mounted displaceably along the rails 30. Furthermore, in order to increase further the number of tools availo** able in the machine, it is provided for other assemblies E (in Figure 3 only a single a'ssembly E3 is shown) which are exactly identical but of opposite orientation with respect to the assemblies El and E2 mounted on the upstream wall 4a to be mounted on the downstream wall 4b.

As can be seen in Figure 3, it is possible, by a judicious design of the form and dimensions of the assemblies E, for the assemblies El and E2 mounted on the upstream wall 4a to overlap those E3 mounted on the downstream wall 4b so as to obtain the smallest minimum working *30 distance D between a tool 11 of an assembly El mounted on the upstream wall 4a and a tool 11 of an assembly E3 mounted on the downstream wall 4b, it being understood that e s~pa trea assemblies El and E2 are mounted transversely in a sequence alternating with the downstream assemblies E3, in other words between each tool 11 carried by two consecutive upstream assemblies El and E2 is inserted (with the exception of the two end tools) a tool carried by a downstream assembly E3, and vice versa.

As already mentioned above, the counter-tools 21 -8are carried by upstream El', E2' and downstream E3' assemblies mounted respectively on upstream 4a' and downstream 4b' walls, identical to the assemblies El, E2 and E3 relating to the tools 11 but arranged symmetrically to the latter with respect to the strip 1.

In Figure 3, the fixing of the tool 11 onto the arbor 10 or onto the turret 18 is not effected using bayonet systems but by means of electromagnets 12, respectively (see Figare 4) mounted on the turret 18 and tbh arbor 10 respectively. Taking into account the bayonet fixing system described above, the construction and mode of operation of such electromagnet fixing devices do not need to be described here in more detail.

The tool 11 is locked in rotation on the arbor 10 by means of studs 13 mounted on the arbor 10 and intended to 6 engage with corresponding orifices of the tool 11.

In the embodiment according to Figure 5, the magazine 18'' is mounted directly in rotation on the pivoting lever -hich, with the aid of the actuator 14, can occupy a first position in which a tool 11 [lacuna] in the working position, and a second position in which this same tool 11 is slightly spaced apart from the strip 1, in other words is in the rest position. It is in the second position of the lever that it is 25 possible to perform the angular positioning of the magazine 18"' in order to place the desired tool in the working position. Each tool 11, 26, 27 is coaxially associated with a toothed pulley 27'' respectively, each pulley engaging with a toothed ring .30 mounted on the lever and driven in rotation by means of the toothed belt In this case, the pivot angle a' is less than that in Figure 1. In order to prevent all the tools 11, 26, 27 from rotating simultane isly, it is possible to mount each of them on an eccentric axis in order to adjust individually their engagement or disengagement with the toothed ring For the remainder, the embodiment according to Figure 5 can be deduced by analogy with that relating to the previous figures. For example, the method of fixing each tool 11, 26, 27 to 9their respective pulley 27'' can be deduced f rom Figure 2 which illustrates how these elements are positioned and/or retained on the pivoting lever 8 of the f irst embodiment, it being understood that the bayonet system lia, 18a can also be used for fixing each tool 11, 26, 27 onto the turret 18''.

It is clear from the above-described embodiments of the invention: that the possible number of combinations of tools (or of counter.-tools) for a number of tools present in the machine approximately equal to that of the prior art, is much greater than that possible using this prior art. In other words, it will only rarely e:be necessary to have to disassemble a tool (or a counter-tool) in order to replace it with another tool; that it is possible to adjust individually the pressure of each tool or counter-tool with the aid of the actuators 16, 16' [sic]; that it is possible to adjust individnally, and very quickly, the relative position between a tool 11 and its counter-tool 21 directly via the motors 5, which position their respective carriage 2, 2' 00:.:transversely; and that the overall size of the machine in the longitudinal direction, in other words the running direction F of the strip 1, is reduced to the minimum for a maximum number of possible combinations of tools. This advantage is also of consider- 30 able importance since, as already mentioned above, a machine often forms part of a train of machineo whose excessively great length poses problems during its installation.

It is clear that numerous modification,* can be made to the illustrative embodiment described above without going beyond the scope of, the invention. Thus, for example, in the case where it is preferable not to place the discharging tools and the lengthwise-slitting tools on a same transverse line, it would be possible to ?0 provide, at each station Tl, T2, T3 of the turret 18, for two tools, in other words one for the discharging and the other for the slitting, to be present and ready to be transferred simultaneously onto the pivoting lever 8, itself also designed for receiving two tools simultaneously.

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Claims (19)

1. A machine for creasing and slitting a travelling web comprising: at least one carriage; means for setting the position of the or each carriage in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the web; and means for causing operation of one or more tools carried by the carriage; wherein each carriage comprises storage means for carrying at l-ist one tool, a lever shiftable relative to the carriage between a first position in which it can hold a tool in an operating position and a second position in which a tool may be transferred between the lever and the storage means. 20

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the carriage extends generally in the direction of movement of the web, the storage means is in the form S.of a turret rotatable about an axis generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the web, 25 and the turret has various seats for tools arranged at angularly spaced positions. *oo

3. A machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said lever is pivotable between said first and second positions.

4. A machine according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the means for driving the tools comprises a bar extending generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the web and drivable 12 rotatably at least by one of its ends by a motor; a toothed wheel mounted for rotation with the bar, the tool being mounted for rotation with a mandrel provided with a toothed wheel and being fitted so as to be rotatable on the one end of the lever of which the pivot axis situated at the other end is identical with the axis of the drive bar; and transmission means between the two toothed wheels enabling the pivoting of the lever from one position to the other.

A machine according to claim 4, wherein the transmission means comprise a toothed belt.

6. A machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5, including means for providing a transverse shift of the lever relative to the carriage in order to facilitate the transfer of a tool beween the lever and the storage means. S0

7. A machine according claim 6, wherein the lever is mounted rotatably and lengthwise on a hollow shaft which is coaxial with the 2 bar, a dog and a helical groove arrangement being provided between the hollow shaft and the carriage in :e such a way that the shift of the lever relative to the carriage may be effected by the rotation of the hollow shaft.

8. A machine for creasing and slitting a travelling web comprising: at least one carriage; means for setting the position of the or each carriage in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the web; and 13 means for causing operation of one or more tools carried by the carriage; wherein each carriage comprises a lever mounted on the carriage and provided with a storage means having a plurality of seats for the tools, one of the seats being an operating seat, the lever being shiftable between a first position in which the tool is located in the operating seat and said position is an operating position, and a second position in which the tool is out of operation.

9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the lever is in the form of a lever extending generally in the direction of movement of the web, the storage means is in the form of a turret having a rotation axis which is generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the web, the seats being angularly spaced on said turret, and the lever being pivotable between said first and second positions. 0

10. A machine according to claim 9, wherein the means for driving the tools comprises 0. 0. a bar extending generally perpendicular to 0 0. 0 0the direction of movement of the web and drivable rotatably at least by one of its ends by a motor; a toothed wheel mounted for rotation with the bar, the tool being for rotation with a mandrel provided with a toothed wheel, and being fitted rotatably on a turret located on a first end of the lever, the pivot axis of which is located at the second end and is identical with the axis of the bar; and transmission means between the toothed wheel of the bar and the toothed wheels of the respective 14 tools enabling the pivoting of the lever from one position to the other.

11. A machine according to claim 10, wherein the transmission means comprises a toothed belt and a toothed rim arranged for rotary action on said first end of the lever and engageable in the toothed wheel of the respective tools.

12. A machine according to claim 2, including two lateral walls extending generally parallel to the direction of movement of the web and two transverse walls situated respectively upstream and downstream of the tool in operation position, wherein the carriage is shiftable by means of guides and rails on the upstream and/or downstream walls.

13. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the carriage is shiftable transversely and positionable by means of a motor carried on the carriage, the outlet axle of the motor being provided with a toothed wheel engagable in a rack supported by a transverse wall.

14. A machine according to any one of claims 2 S 25 to 9, wherein each carriage, turret and lever form part of an assembly which can be dismantled' individaally from the machine.

15. A machine according to claim 12, wherein each carriage, turret and lever form part of an assembly which can be dismantled individually from the machine. 15

16. A machine according to any one of claims 6 to wherein the tool is mounted on the magazine or mandrel by means of bayonet systems or electromagnets.

17. A machine according to claim 15, wherein the assemblies are arranged alternately on the upstream wall and the downstream wall whereby the tools in operating positions are located midway between the two walls.

18. A machine according to any preceding claim, wherein a carriage, a storage means and a shiftable lever identical with those for positioning the tool are arranged symmetrically on the opposite side of the web path to enable the positioning of at least one tool counter-part.

19. A machine for creasing and slitting a travelling web as hereinbefore described with reference to the 15 accompanying drawings. DATED this 17 day of February 1993 PETERS MASCHINENFABRIK GmbH Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: .r F.B. RICE CO. Applicantt 8 e